The Casual Vacancy
A big novel about a small town... When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock. Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war. Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils...Pagford is not what it first seems. And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity, and unexpected revelations? A big novel about a small town, The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling's first novel for adults. It is the work of a storyteller like no other.
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Community Reviews
OK, I'm struggling to get into this book...really laboring here to move from page to page. It's dull and boring, and I've NEVER struggled to get into a J.K. Rowling novel before. I loved the Harry Potter series from start to finish, and so I'm hoping that things will improve here shortly...
It didn't get better. I found this book very much lacking in quality, story telling. This was a book about lack-luster characters and told in such a fashion that none of it resonated with me. AND it was oh so long!! I caught myself skimming and skipping through sections to get to the end. It was painful.
It didn't get better. I found this book very much lacking in quality, story telling. This was a book about lack-luster characters and told in such a fashion that none of it resonated with me. AND it was oh so long!! I caught myself skimming and skipping through sections to get to the end. It was painful.
I was amazed by the good story. I couldn't picture a non fantasy novel after Harry Potter but she definitely outdid herself.
With so many characters, I never felt close enough to actually like any of them--although they were all pretty unlikeable anyway. Not sure what the point of the story is, except maybe that J. K. Rowling can write a completely non-magical book peppered with the "F" word.
I got the feeling that the action of the story was supposed to be funny, but if so the humor passed me by. This soap opera about a local election is excruciatingly dull. And there was no one to like -- every character in this book is selfish, unethical, and petty. Instead of spending time on this one, I'd instead recommend you read Robertson Davies or Stephen Fry for zany antics, Joyce Carol Oates for pathos, or Maeve Binchy for warm-heartedness -- those authors are able to illustrate the foibles of small town characters without making you despise them. Full disclosure: I read all the Harry Potter books but after the first three or so I found it difficult to tell them apart.
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